 Have $500-600. Please help on hardware. |
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 Oct 23 2004, 01:38 PM
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#16
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Member  Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451  |
Here is an evalution of the AMD Athlon 64 2800+ from PC Perspective. They basically evaluated the 64 bit 2800+ against the remainder of the AMD 64 bit processors, the AMD XP 3200+, and Intel 3.2-3.4 NW and Prescott. The 64 bit 2800+ is basically in the same ballpark with the rest of these processors, gives the advantage of 64 bit technology, and has the best price/performance ratio of all evaluated. Here is a link for those who are interested: http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=33 Price is $140 (retail) with free shipping from ZipZoomFly: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetai...uctCode=80698-R My next question is: This will require a Socket 754 motherboard. Does anyone have any suggestions? Do not need the best MOBO out there as need to fall in budget, but would obviously not want to handicap processor abilities with a cheap motherboard. Will need to either obtain a MOBO with onboard video or a MOBO without video with an additional lower end video card. Thanks. Chad |
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Oct 23 2004, 01:57 PM
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#17
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 Learning Daily Group: Members Posts: 4,543 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Washington State, USA Member No.: 1,322 |
I see you've been doing your homework, Chad
These two caught my eye: new egg-motherboards-socket 754 GIGABYTE "GA-K8S760M" SiS760 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $99.00 Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors Chipset: SiS 760 + SiS 964 RAM: 2x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 2GB IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X(1.5V only), 3x PCI Ports: 2xPS/2,1xVGA,1xCOM,1xLPT,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4), Audio Ports Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC655 6-Channel Codec Onboard Video: SiS Ultra256 Graphics Onboard LAN: Realtek 8100C 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1 Onboard 1394: T.I. TSB43AB23, 3 Ports by cable Form Factor: microATX Model#: GA-K8S760M Item#: N82E16813128244 Rating: Vote(s): 8 Review(s): 3 ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $89.00 Supported CPU: AMD Athlon 64 / Sempron Processor Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb FSB: 800 MHz RAM: 3x DIMM Supports DDR266/333/400 Max 3GB Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI Ports: 2x PS/2, 1x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 4), 1xRJ45, Audio Ports IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x SATA RAID with 0, 1, 0+1, JBOD Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850(8-Ch) Onboard LAN: Built-in MAC with external PHY 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Form Factor: ATX Model#: K8N Item#: N82E16813131512 Rating: Vote(s): 8 Review(s): 5 -------------------- patiently patrolling, plenty of persisant pests n' problems ...
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Oct 23 2004, 04:20 PM
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#18
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 helping hand Group: Members Posts: 1,700 Joined: 14-April 04 From: Texas Member No.: 150 |
Here are some of my thoughts:
cpotter QUOTE I have decided to build as I have tinkered with computers all of my life, but have never built one from scratch. If you have installed a HD, RAM or a video card, the processes are not much beyond that. You just have more parts to deal with. cpotter QUOTE 1) Can I build a system at this price range and improve on my components? Yes, it is possible. It would be an improvement over what you surrently have. After the research on the parts, the battle is more then half over in respects to time. cpotter QUOTE Memory: I'm thinking that I will need a minium of 512. May want to go with 1 Gig. But not sure. When picking out memory, do I only have to worry about speed and pin type to match? One of the posts on Woody's thread indicated this. But I attempted to upgrade memory on my previous IBM. Had a difficult time, until I got direct help from the retailer. This may be due to the fact that I had an IBM, which suggested getting proprietary memory. Getting 512 is a wonderful start. I would suggest that you go with a single stick of 512 as opposed to 2x256. This way, you can increase to 1 Gig as necessary and still re-use the (then) current 512. When looking at memory for the MOBO, then you want to look what it can support. Each one is different. cpotter QUOTE Optical drives: I have an old CD writer (4X - Don't laugh) on the IBM. This is basically worthless. Do not do a lot of burining, so don't need top of the line. It may not be as worthless as you think. If you get an external drive kit (see Woody's thread), then it is possible that you could re-use it as an external burner. Of course, it would depend on if you can remove it from the computer, and if you want to use it. You can even use the kit for your current HD, so that you can easily transfer the information over to your new computer. If you do not do alot of burning, then ONLY to serve to keep the cost down, you could get away with a single DVD-+RW combo drive. The combo drive means that you can also burn CDs. jgweed QUOTE If you take your time and are not in a hurry to replace the old computer, you can sometimes find very good buys locally at Best Buy, Microcenter, etc., when certain components are on sale or in the midst of being cleared for newer products (rebates can really reduce the cost). Thats some great advice. If the build can wait a week or so, then you may get some good bargans on components just by comparing the differences in prices locally. Phawgg QUOTE I've noted some thoughts next to some entries, for consideration when thinking about the PC past, present & future. I suggest running the report software on any machine, by anyone. It's free. Maybe after we finish the hardware tutorial, the next logical step would be analyzing this report as a tutorial. It could certainly allow better understanding of information to all that use it. cpotter QUOTE 1) Should I venture into 64-bit Technology? Any real advantages for my usage? I'm assuming that it would be better for future upgrades? Honestly do not know much about 64 bit. Until more programs use it, I do not see a difference in performance. Although it is true that more software is being devolped to take advantage of it for the near future, currently there is more of a speed difference with CPUs that have the HT (Hyper Threading). This difference is in the 10-15% range. I know that Microsoft is working on a Windows 64-bit edition, but I do not know if this would necessarily be any faster for those CPUs that specifically have this type of chip. cpotter QUOTE Suggested processor/MOBO by phawgg: 136.00 AMD Athlon XP 3000+ "Barton", 400 FSB, 512K Cache Processor - OEM 63.00 MSI "K7N2 Delta2-LSR" NVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL Looked through Newegg. Seemed to have good reviews on: 132.00 AMD Athlon 64 2800+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - OEM 89.00 ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL QUOTE 3) What is the difference in OEM and Retail. Just heatsink and fan included with retail? I would go with nothing but retail on the CPU. To answer your question on the difference, yes it does include the heatsink and fan, but that is not all that it is included with it. When a manufacturer includes a heatsink and fan with their CPU, they are placing their reputation on the line that this is the best combination for this CPU. Even when the price difference may seem like alot, it is alot better then finding out what the combination of parts would be best. Some opinons may differ because they want to overclock the CPU and place exotic cooling systems on it. For them, I can understand their standing between OEM and retail. For your usage, I do not see you will have a need to overclock anytime soon. cpotter QUOTE 2) Started looking at some cases. Plan on getting a lower end case to make budget. Will probably get one with an included power supply. What is minimum power supply I should be looking at? 350W? Will help me make a decision on the case. 350 is really bare minimum, even with only one internal DVD drive. If you went with at least 450, then you will not have to worry about increasing it, if you want to upgrade your audio or video card down the road. Phawgg QUOTE Compaq Presario Model SR1230NX 778-232 KDS Model XF-7b 556-512 17" monitor HP Model 3845 430-888 printer $856.09 AMD Athlon XP processor 3200+ 512MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM memory 160GB harddrive DVD+RW double layer drive/CD-ROM drive desktop computer/ monitor printer <230.00> <50.00> $576.09 after rebates it runs winXP Home Thats not a bad price for a system. If you can upgrade the parts (video card and audio card), then it would be even better. Some mobos are locked in which you can not even add any additional hardware, unless you know how to bypass them via jumpers  Woody QUOTE Okay. I just perused newegg and before taxes and shipping, I went over your $500-$600 budget by $19.82. If you pull out the Mitsumi combo floppy/card reader, then I'm just barely under $600. Here's what I come up with: Good job Woody! Phawgg QUOTE GIGABYTE "GA-K8S760M" SiS760 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $99.00 Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors Chipset: SiS 760 + SiS 964 RAM: 2x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 2GB IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X(1.5V only), 3x PCI Ports: 2xPS/2,1xVGA,1xCOM,1xLPT,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4), Audio Ports Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC655 6-Channel Codec Onboard Video: SiS Ultra256 Graphics Onboard LAN: Realtek 8100C 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1 Onboard 1394: T.I. TSB43AB23, 3 Ports by cable Form Factor: microATX Model#: GA-K8S760M Item#: N82E16813128244 Rating: Vote(s): 8 Review(s): 3 ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $89.00 Supported CPU: AMD Athlon 64 / Sempron Processor Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb FSB: 800 MHz RAM: 3x DIMM Supports DDR266/333/400 Max 3GB Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI Ports: 2x PS/2, 1x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 4), 1xRJ45, Audio Ports IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x SATA RAID with 0, 1, 0+1, JBOD Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850(8-Ch) Onboard LAN: Built-in MAC with external PHY 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Form Factor: ATX Model#: K8N Item#: N82E16813131512 Rating: Vote(s): 8 Review(s): 5 If I had a choice between these, then it would depend on what my case would support: ATX or micro-ATX. Some will support both. Not taking that into consideration, I would recommend the ASUS. Not only does it cost less then the other one, but it also supports 3 sticks of RAM (GIGABYTE has 2), it has 5 PCI slots (GIGABYTE has 3), it supports 8-ch audio (GIGABYTE has 6 channel), and on-board NVIDIA nForce3 is superior to on-board SiS Ultra256. -------------------- We are all curious like a cat. We wonder, we ask, we learn.
Please post back when a suggestion works, so that others may learn. |
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Oct 23 2004, 06:03 PM
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#19
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Learning Daily Group: Members Posts: 4,543 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Washington State, USA Member No.: 1,322 |
hey guys
How 'bout this? $24.00 Logisys PSU 500w ATX power supply, w / dual fans and protection circuits. $22.00 ATX basic $3.28 fans 1 for side case, 1 for back case $140.00 AMD Athlon 64 2800+ Processor Socket 754 Retail $89.00 ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $78.00 Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - OEM 69.00 Lite-On 8X Double Layer DVD+/-RW Drive w/ NERO and PowerDVD Software, 29.00 Maxtor 40GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model 6E040L0, office depot including rebate. or hold off and buy bigger, just use your 20GB for now. Chad you can use your floppy drive, 20GB HD for your operating system files only, the second drive for program & data, plan on doubling the memory using another of the Corsair 512 sticks (they are a well-respected brand) and adding a video card of 128-256 MB as/if needed (I can assure you that nVidia on-board video is plenty fine for all use. Add a card and you can have the dual monitors and play intense games with very high resolution). Use your keyboard, mouse, and any cables that you have. Cables for all the rest will probably come in the packages. Mount that old CD-RW below the nice new DVD-RW and have some fun. You can have 1.5 GB of memory if you like, know where to get it when/if you want it, plenty of power, cooled better than typical, and have some money left over to buy the OS that will work best on it. $455.00 plus tax/ship 
-------------------- patiently patrolling, plenty of persisant pests n' problems ...
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Oct 23 2004, 09:21 PM
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#20
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Member Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451 |
Thank you for your input. Have decided to go with the AMD Athlon 64 2800+
Next choice is motherboard/video. With some research, here are my options: 1) $76.50 ASRock "K8S8X" SiS755 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL - Specifications - Supported CPU: Socket 754 for AMD Athlon 64 Processors Chipset: SiS 755 + SiS 964 FSB: 800MHz RAM: 2x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 2GB IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 5x PCI Ports: 2xPS2,1xCOM,1xLPT,8xUSB2.0(rear 6),1xLAN,Audio Ports Onboard Audio: 5.1 channels AC’97 Audio Onboard LAN: 10/100 Fast Ethernet Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x Serial ATA, SATA RAID 0/1/JBOD Form Factor: ATX 2) $99.00 GIGABYTE "GA-K8S760M" SiS760 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU Specs listed with previous posts 3) $89.00 ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL Phawgg.... In your last post you suggested going with the ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA. You stated "I can assure you that nVidia on-board video is plenty fine for all use. Add a card and you can have the dual monitors and play intense games with very high resolution" From the specs listed, I can find no mention of onboard video with this card. Also went to the ASUS website, pulled the specs, and could find nothing of onboard video there. Am I missing something? If it indeed does have onboard video, I think this is the MOBO to go with. If not, I'm unsure. Here are my thoughts. I do not need a high end video card. Do not do any high end gaming. Will be viewing DVD's. Kids (oldest age 3) will be playing some children's games, but I'm sure will not demand anything more than onboard video. With a little perusing of newegg, a bottom priced video card will cost me $40.00. If the ASUS card does not have onboard video, I think my 2 best choices would be: 1) Going with the ASROCK MOBO and getting a $40 video card. Can a get a resonable video card for this price? Every review of the ASROCK MOBO is positive. The only negative point I've read is the limitations on overclocking, which I don't plan on doing at any point in the near future. 2) Going with the GIGABYTE "GA-K8S760M" SiS760 Chipset MOBO which has onboard video. From the reviews, I'm thinking that the onboard video could serve my purposes. And down the road I may upgrade to a new video card. Any opinions? My next question involves memory. Phawgg suggested going with corsair memory. This seems to be one of the better brands out there. Almost all testing that I've reviewed for processors use this memory when testing. If I were to wait and try to get a good deal on some memory locally, like Kinston or something similar, would this have a large effect on my system? Is the memory between the 2 brands that different? Just curious. Thanks again. Chad |
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Oct 24 2004, 12:41 AM
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#21
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Learning Daily Group: Members Posts: 4,543 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Washington State, USA Member No.: 1,322 |
Here I go again with another annoyingly long post, I'm afraid. lol
You do not need a video card to power your video functions. The chipset on the mobo will do all the functions required by a monitor and software written for GUI (Graphical User Interface) for you. Video cards are essentially "mini-mobos" that add a lot of circuitry to the AGP on the board, making the work easier in the graphics dept. you might say. Some chipsets, like nVidia and SiS (I guess) are better than "stock" issued circuitry and for gamers, who demand more from the monitor than other categories of users, this is a starting point. Since you have an open AGP port with no video card, but an advanced design of chipset to compliment a kick-butt processor, you can fly without the video card... or plug one in and experience less draw on the 512 system memory in doing so. (plus capture whatever help the vid card is designed to do for you) With a Gig of memory (or even "just" 512MB), you would never miss the 32MB draw or whatever off the main memory that not having an extra card will give you. Thats one reason I favor AMD's approach... integrate the essentials of what I call "monitor visible effects"... make those functions close to the heart of the processor for success in that area of PC performance... and with the products we're talkin' about, not to the detriment of anything else. Please read some info in these links. Having used the modest machine I've shown you specs on, and having played games that are "big" like Vice City, without any video card... and having installed free software for audio, like dbpower amp and having played with audio codecs forfile conversions and having been blown away by the high quality sound and good action on screen... I do not free motivated towards "add-on" cards until you see the need (if and when, I mean) Buy a good chipset & processor...good memory you can match up for expansion later and ENJOY a lot more than your older stuff ever gave you. Again apologies for a mile-long post... there are ways around it , but I'm half-lazy & half asleep.   one asus board another one.... ASUS "K8V SE Deluxe" K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL Model# K8V SE DELUXE Item # N82E16813131490 Supported CPU: Socket 754 for AMD Athlon 64 Processors Chipset: VIA K8T800 + VT8237 FSB: Hyper Transport RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 3GB IDE: 3x ATA 133(1 from Promise 20378) up to 6 Devices Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 5x PCI, 1x Wi-Fi Ports: 2xPS2,1xCOM,1xLPT,8xUSB2.0(rear 4),1xLAN,2x1394(rear 1),SPDIF Out,Audio Ports Onboard Audio: AD1980 6-Channel audio CODEC Onboard LAN: Marvell GbE Onboard SATA/RAID: VT8237, 2xSATA, RAID 0/1; Promise R20378, 2x SATA, RAID 0/1/0+1 Onboard 1394: VIA VT6307, 2 Ports Form Factor: ATX this one is like the one I mentioned in my previous post: (the N series I guess) not new egg, though. another one: ComputerHQ.com Asus K8N-E Deluxe Mainboard ATX specification Main Specifications Product Description ASUS K8N-E Deluxe - mainboard - ATX - nForce3 250Gb Product Type Mainboard Form Factor ATX Dimensions (WxDxH) 12 in x 9.6 in Chipset Type NVidia nForce3 250Gb Max Bus Speed 1600 MHz Processor 0 ( 1 ) - Socket 754 Compatible Processors Athlon 64 RAM 0 MB (installed) / 3 GB (max) Supported RAM Technology DDR SDRAM Supported RAM Integrity Check ECC Storage Controller RAID ( Serial ATA-150 ) Storage Controller (2nd) RAID ( Serial ATA-150 ) Audio Output Sound card - 7.1 channel surround Networking Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet General Product Type Mainboard Form Factor ATX Width 12 in Depth 9.6 in Compatible Processors Athlon 64 Processor Socket Socket 754 Chipset Type NVidia nForce3 250Gb Max Bus Speed 1600 MHz BIOS Type AMI Processor Installed Qty (Max Supported) 0 ( 1 ) Memory Supported RAM Technology DDR SDRAM Supported RAM Integrity Check ECC RAM Installed ( Max ) 0 MB / 3 GB (max) Supported RAM Speed PC2100, PC2700, PC3200 RAM Features Unbuffered Storage Controller Storage Controller RAID RAID Level RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, JBOD Controller Interface Type Serial ATA-150 Storage Controller (2nd) RAID - RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD, RAID 0+1 Controller (2nd) Interface Type Serial ATA-150 Audio Audio Output Sound card Audio Codec Realtek ALC850 Sound Output Mode 7.1 channel surround Telecom / Networking Networking Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet Features BIOS Features DMI 2.0 support, WfM 2.0 support, Multilingual BIOS, JumperFree, ASUS MyLogo2, ASUS EZ Flash Manual Settings CPU frequency, processor core voltage, memory voltage, AGP slot voltage, FSB ratio (CPU:memory) Sleep / Wake Up Wake on LAN (WOL), wake on ring (WOR) Hardware Features Chassis intrusion detection, ASUS POST Reporter, C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall), CrashFree BIOS 2, ASUS Instant Music, AMD Cool 'n' Quiet Technology, ASUS Q-Fan 2 Expansion / Connectivity Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 1 ) x AGP 8x ( 1.5 V ) 3 ( 3 ) x memory - DIMM 184-pin 1 ( 1 ) x processor - Socket 754 5 ( 5 ) x PCI Interfaces 6 x storage - Serial ATA-150 - 7 pin Serial ATA 1 x storage - floppy interface - 34 pin IDC 2 x storage - DMA/ATA-133 (Ultra) Fast Drives - 40 pin IDC 1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 1 x parallel - IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP) - 25 pin D-Sub (DB-25) 1 x serial - RS-232 - 9 pin D-Sub (DB-9) 1 x keyboard - generic - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style) 1 x mouse - generic - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style) 2 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) 6 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A 1 x gameport / MIDI - generic - 15 pin D-Sub (DB-15) 1 x audio - SPDIF output - TOS Link 1 x audio - SPDIF output - RCA 2 x audio - line-in - 4 pin MPC Audio - input / output Additional Connectors (Optional) 2 x Hi-Speed USB Miscellaneous Cables Included 3 x IDE cable 1 x floppy cable 6 x Serial ATA cable 1 x gameport / USB panel 1 x IEEE 1394 cable Software Included Drivers & utilities, ASUS PC Probe, ASUS EZ Flash, ASUS MyLogo2, ASUS Live Update, PC-cillin 2002 (OEM), InterVideo WinDVD Suite Platinum Compliant Standards Plug and Play, CE Product Availability Details Why are there different prices? [Hell if I know] read on... Warehouse State Qty Price Status Updated ETA Fremont California 82 $141.00 Oct 23 2004 6:00AM - Los Angeles California 198 $141.00 Oct 23 2004 6:00AM - Atlanta Georgia 167 $141.00 Oct 23 2004 6:00AM - Fremont California 1629 $152.19 Oct 22 2004 2:01PM - Clearwater Florida 84 $156.67 Oct 23 2004 7:03AM - Another mentioned in articles as good... Computer Hardware> Motherboards - AMD > SOLTEK > N82E16813180061 SOLTEK "SL-K8AN2E-GR" NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL 99.00 Model# SL-K8AN2E-GR Item # N82E16813180061 Specifications: Supported CPU: AMD Athlon 64 Processor Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb FSB: 800MHz Hyper Transport RAM: 2x DIMM Supports DDR266/333/400 Max 2GB Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI Ports: 2x PS/2, 2x COM, 1x LPT, 8x USB2.0(Rear 4), 1xRJ45, Audio Ports IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices, 1x ATA 133 up to 2 Devices by Promise PDC20579 SATA/RAID: 2x SATA RAID with 0,1,0+1 by nFORCE 3 250Gb, 2x SATA RAID with 0,1,1+0 by by Promise PDC20579 Onboard Audio: 6-Channel AC'97 Audio Onboard LAN: 1000 BASE-T Ethernet Form Factor: ATX It really is in the details you need to check, they do vary, but keep in mind some basics: They are made to fit the cases, they are progressively more expensive the more features offered, they are competing with each other for demographically defined users' money, and they change in their progression quite fast. 32-bit users are having a field day as the prices will drop on great combos slowly, but availability on a few years may be an issue. I could go on and on, but just GAG me and toss me onto the bed. I will sleep.  Most of this stuff is of dreams for me anyway, I plan to add a stick of memory for the new year, and maybe a second monitor for Springtime. gamer's depot google search nVidia info hot hardware April 2004 amdboard.com  BTW, Kingston is good to.. I could offer links to IBM memory, like I have, but I thought you were tired of them, having had the experiences you have. I can respect that.
-------------------- patiently patrolling, plenty of persisant pests n' problems ...
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Oct 25 2004, 01:25 PM
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#22
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Member Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451 |
I'm leaning towards the following MOBO:
EPoX "EP-8KDA3J" nForce3-250Gb Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $73.00 - Specifications - Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb FSB: 800MHz (Hyper-Transport) RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 3GB IDE: 2x ATA 133 up to 4 Devices Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X(1.5V), 6x PCI Ports: 2xPS/2,1xLPT,1xCOM,SPDIF Out,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),Audio Ports Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850 8-Channel Codec Onboard LAN: Gigabit Ethernet Onboard SATA: 2x Serial ATA 150 Form Factor: ATX I'm leaning toward this MOBO as it has the NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb chipset, which appears to have many advantages after reviewing mulitple sites. The only things that I have run into on other boards and through the Newegg reviews is an incompatbility with some RAM. Also, some people have had some trouble actually installing the MOBO and getting it to work correctly. I'm guessing that these cases are few and far between. But given that this is my first build, I hesitate a little on ths MOBO. Does anyone have any experience with this MOBO? Does anyone know how EPOX customer support is in general? On the other hand, are there specific MOBO manufactures that have better than average customer support? Thanks. Chad |
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Oct 26 2004, 12:44 AM
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#23
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Learning Daily Group: Members Posts: 4,543 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Washington State, USA Member No.: 1,322 |
epox support
Chad, From the looks of the company I'd say you'd be making a good decision. Support seems to be available, they've been in business 10 years, they build a wide range of products but not so many as to be trying to please everyone and ending up pleasing no one. I've read some early tests (April 04) on the AMD64 that included the processor on one of their boards (though I didn't bookmark it and don't recall exactly but you can google on AMD64 and find it)... an indication they are considered for such testing when many others were not. The price is right. Memory issues can be solved by getting one(s) made by the best outfits and/or those that you've read pose no problems. I've been busy at some other things, and haven't researched into this much, but you're probably on the right path. A decision you'll want to make, but one that the board certainly allows for, is ATA or SATA hard drive(s). You can put your 20MB in initially, get it up and runnin' and expand later, without a compromise of great import, if indeed you are disciplined at using a small drive in what you do. I don't think system demands call for much more than that, if you burn disks and store data off computer. Basically the customer support you will need is for BIOS upgrades (few & far between), system driver upgrades (probably more frequent) and a warranty/return policy...details you should be able to confirm by checkin' into the home page and askin' directly. That's about all I can offer. Good that you're askin' questions... we all learn a little more as time goes on that way. Joe
-------------------- patiently patrolling, plenty of persisant pests n' problems ...
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Oct 26 2004, 07:24 AM
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#24
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 SPAM Magnet Group: Global Moderator Posts: 13,510 Joined: 6-May 04 From: SW Louisiana Member No.: 363 |
QUOTE 2) Are there any websites that help, step by step with first times builders? Looking through Woody's thread, I checked out a yahoo link as well as one other that had some decent info for first time builders. Would like to find some additional help. I will have internet access with my laptop during the build. Here's a couple of websites, on building a PC, that you can check out: Build Your Own HardwareCentral Build Easy PC Build PC.net MY SUPER PC Geek.com Illustrated Step by Step Guide -------------------- I love being married.
It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy, for the rest of your life. |
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Oct 26 2004, 09:14 PM
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#25
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Member Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451 |
Well, I've purchased the AMD Athlon 64 2800+ processor. Also purchased a motherboard. Went with the:
SOLTEK "SL-K8AN2E-GR" NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL $99.00 Looked for a while at many socket 754 motherboards. The Epox was about $15 cheaper, but the SOLTEK seemed solid. Seemed to have excellent reviews and virtually no complaints from people trying to install/use the board. My next question is regarding case and PSU. For me, I do not need an expensive case. It is just going to sit under the desk. Will not be moving the case either. I think I can get an decent case for around $30 - $40. The question I have is more in regards to the PSU. I read somewhere that as a minimum, you need a 400W PSU for a 64 bit chip. I assume anything over 400W would be reasonable? And would most any 400W power supply that comes standard with a low end case be resonable for my usage? Are there other parameters of the PSU that I need to evaluate? Or certain brands to look out for or avoid? To me getting an adequate PSU seems more important than the case itself. In all likelyhood I will be running the following components eventually: 1) Soltek board as above with Athlon 2800+ 2) 1 Gig of Ram 3) New 60 - 80 gig hard drive possibly with an additional much older 20 gig HD as a slave 4) New DVD Burner 5) Seperate DVD Rom 6) Video card, not yet decided on which one. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Chad |
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Oct 26 2004, 09:43 PM
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#26
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Learning Daily Group: Members Posts: 4,543 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Washington State, USA Member No.: 1,322 |
Good deal, Chad.
Did you have a chance to check out the LogiSys site, and ATX cases back a couple posts? I thought that 500W was a good deal, and ATX has a wide range of prices, too. I clicked the home page from the link and somethin' about a free case & online support might be worth checkin' into.Even the local surplus stores want 30.00+ for a tower case. -------------------- patiently patrolling, plenty of persisant pests n' problems ...
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Oct 26 2004, 10:03 PM
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#27
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Member Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451 |
Phawgg
I did check out the links. In regard to the PSU link, it just gave me the HQcomputer site with a search for logisys. After looking though it there are 2 PSU units. 1) http://www.computerhq.com/Logisys_450w_Pow...-id-513680.html This is a 450 PSU for $24.00 2) http://www.computerhq.com/Logisys_500w_ATX...-id-513683.html This is a 500W PSU for $37.00 I'm assuming you were referring the the 450W PSU. I'm guessing this would be reasonable. I'm going to go a little research and post some ideas here in the next day or two. Thanks for your help thus far. Chad |
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Oct 27 2004, 10:09 PM
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#28
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Member Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451 |
Phawgg. Have done some research on PSU. To me it makes more sense to by a quality PSU seperate from the case. From the research I've done, the overall PSU Watts is not as important as the Ams on the 12V+ rail. Can anyone confirm this? Overall PSU watts are not uniformily standard across PSU and manufactures try and inflate their products with a higher wattage.
The logisys powerlab (that Phawgg suggested) has 25A on the 12V rail and costs less than an Antec 300W that has 15A on the 12V rail. Have found the same PSU at a different site for $21 shipped: http://store.4linkcomm.com/po45posur.html Does anyone have experience with Logisys products, PSU in particular. Thanks. Chad |
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Nov 1 2004, 08:56 AM
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#29
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Member Group: Members Posts: 64 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 3,451 |
Have finally decided on most equipment. Have done a lot of research. The MOBO has been ordered. The remainder will be ordered this week. If anyone sees any problems with compatibility, please let me know. But I don't think there will be any issues.
Antec Black ATX Mini Tower PC Case 350W PSU Model "SLK1650B"-$60.00 Shipped SOLTEK "SL-K8AN2E-GR" NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb MOBO Socket 754 - $95 Shipped AMD Athlon 64 2800+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor (Retail) - $140 Shipped MSI nVIDIA GeForce MX4000 Video 128MB DDR "G4MX4000-T128" - $47 Shipped Have decided on above components. The others below are somewhat flexible: NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive Model ND-3500A BK OEM - $71 Shipped Western Digital Caviar WD800BB 80GB Hard Drive - $57 Shipped 2 Corsair 512MB PC3200 DDR DIMM Memory (Total 1 Gig) - $158 Total: $628 Shipped. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for all the help. Chad |
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Nov 3 2004, 04:56 PM
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#30
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New Member Group: Members Posts: 9 Joined: 28-August 04 Member No.: 2,314 |
VERY good choice on going with a retail version of your cpu. Oem is a little cheaper, but you get the full 3 year warrantee with the retail version. I know that newegg only gives a 30 or 90 day warrantee with the oem stuff. Cooling should be a MAJOR concern. AMD stuff doesn't run near as hot as Intel P4 chips, but it's still a concern. Then you have to think about noise from the fans. I just spent almost $700 with newegg on computer parts. That included a new case, PSU, 3.2E cpu, P4C800 E deluxe MB, RAM, 5 fans, and a good heatsink. From what I've read, don't trust the PSU's from generic cases. Just look at cases from the standpoint of replacing the PSU from the beginning. Mine ended up not working when I got it and Newegg gave me a $10 credit towards a new one. It was either that or send the whole case back for another one, and you pay to ship it back. You can get a good gaming case that has LOTS of places for fans for next to nothing. I'd disable all the flashy neon lights though.
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